Fortunately Unlucky
by Ellinell
Summary: Hogwarts hosting the Triwizard Tournament? "I can handle." Sharing the school with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students? "I'll survive." Meeting Scorpius Malfoy? "... stupid, insanely hot Beauxbatons guy!" Rose Weasley never expected this.
1. Lucky Me

**Chapter 1 - Lucky Me**

Oftentimes, people do not take Headmaster Slughorn seriously—well, except when he's offering free box seat Quidditch tickets.

The thing is, while he's all fun and good-natured (and oddly, sometimes a bit sadistic), Professor Slughorn can be a little _too_ easy-going. I swear, when he pops in unexpected in my NEWT potions class, Professor Collins nearly has heart attacks. And while it's always amusing to watch Professor Collins be criticized cheerfully by our headmaster, I don't enjoy the visits too much, either.

Of course, it's mainly due to the fact that he always stops by our table—Al and I are always partners—and starts never-ending conversations about our parents and how much he adores them, and how he knew we would be Head Boy and Girl because we were as great as our parents (I suppose it didn't matter that _he_ was the one who made the Head decisions; besides, Dad swears that Slughorn didn't even know his name during school).

However, right now, we were dumbfounded for another reason entirely.

It was supposed to be just another night in October at Hogwarts, and we were having dinner in the Great Hall. For some reason though, Slughorn had told us to remain seated after our meal for an important announcement. This came as a bit of a shock, since he almost never addresses us—although, I didn't worry about that too much because I've always been slightly skeptical of his mental sanity.

I was _not _prepared for _this _announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and poltergeist, I hope you're excited to host the latest Triwizard Tournament." Professor Slughorn's voice was calm and casual, expectantly awaiting our reactions with an easy grin.

The entire Great Hall stared at him, wide-eyed, slack-jawed—just overall dumbfounded.

_Was he serious?_

Professor Slughorn frowned at the dead silence. "Well," he began, disappointed. "I suppose we could always refuse to host—"

Of course, that little comment seemed to jerk us all back to life.

"I can't believe this!"

"Is he _serious_?"

"Logically, we shouldn't really trust him; he's been known to pull these pranks on us—"

"You're just jealous he didn't offer _you_ box seats for the Playoffs!"

"The bloody Triwizard Tournament? Wait, did I hear him correctly? I'm sorry, I'm serious, I just woke up—"

"Foreign guys!"

Yeah, our reactions were so utterly random, but the unanimous response was of excitement. The cheers and shouts deafened the Hall.

I grinned widely at Al. It didn't take us long to realize that we couldn't hear each other at all, even with us sitting next to each other.

Evidently, we were also really crappy lip-readers. Or at least I was.

Unless Al _really_ wanted kiss the Giant Squid.

Doubtful.

"Now that's the reaction I was looking for!" Professor Slughorn said approvingly through his _Sonorus _charm.

As we all fell silent, he stared at us with amusement, grinning wickedly. "Yes, it is _quite_ an event. But, there's more. We've decided to change a few things this time. As some of you are aware, the two other schools competing in the Tournament are Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. But, instead of telling you jolly good students early, we've decided to spare you all the anticipation, because the contenders of the Triwizard Tournament will be arriving," he paused and looked at us with a huge smile, "now."

Oh Merlin, he's _serious_! He can't just spring these kinds of surprises on us. Our hearts won't be able to take all this!

I was pretty sure my eyes had widened to the size of two quaffles—each—and I wasn't the only one. Seriously, what was _wrong_ with Slughorn? He was clearly some sort of sadist. I mean, withholding this information from us for the past month? Ridiculous. And the almost-triumphant gleam of amusement in his eyes just confirmed my suspicions.

Slughorn apparently wasn't finished, though, as he cleared his throat loudly. "I am certain you will all be more than hospitable to these foreign students, who will be guests at our castle for the remainder of the school year."

More gasps from my fellow students.

"In an effort to promote inter-school unity, they will attend the same classes that you currently have; but this only pertains to the Seventh Years." There was that look again. "Also, it is my great pleasure to inform you that each Seventh Year student will be assigned a foreign student to assist during their remainder at Hogwarts. Think of it as a buddy system."

_What?_

I mean, as Head Girl, I know I was expected to be the perfect good girl who went along happily with every "brilliant" that the administration came up with, but I was _not_ too fond of having to deal with some foreign student for the rest of the year. They were probably ridiculously stuck-up, evil people or something. I know it's wrong of me to make these ridiculous assumptions, especially since Mum always said to "never judge a book by its cover", but I was a bit freaked out.

And for good reason, too. I had NEWTs to study for, and our daily schoolwork wasn't getting any lighter (I was sure that my professors were being influenced by the positively sadistic Slughorn). Of course, I knew that NEWTs were months away, but I just had a habit of stressing myself out. Teddy always joked that I had more gray hairs than his grandmother, and that it was really unfortunate I wasn't a Metamorphmagus like him so I couldn't change my hair color at will.

But, really. Who listened to Teddy? He depressed me way too much sometimes.

Anyways, during my lovely session of self-understanding, I apparently spaced out and didn't hear the rest of Slughorn's inspiring speech, because the doors were opening, and our visitors were coming. The anticipation and excitement in the air strangely made me feel like I was at a wedding for some reason—you know, when the bride's walking down the aisle and . . . never mind.

The first person who entered was an unnaturally large woman. I almost squealed in excitement when I recognized her. It was Madam Maxime, Hagrid's wife! Or as she wanted us to call her, Aunt Maxime.

Actually, she tried for just plain old Maxime at first—because according to her, she was still young and we were practically like sisters, anyways, so Madam sounded too formal—but Mum insisted on addressing her as Aunt. Which was fine with me, because she was still awesome either way—although, I was sure I caught her giving Mum the evil eye a couple times after . . . but I could be wrong.

I nudged Al to see his reactions about Aunt Maxime. He rolled his eyes at me, but grinned in a _Duh, I know, Rose, _kind of way. I returned his eye-rolling. Can't a girl be excited around here? Al could be pretty depressing, too.

Behind Aunt Maxime were the Beauxbatons students. There were at least twenty of them and they were all dressed in blue silk robes. And—I almost laughed—many of them exuded this air of superiority as they glanced at us. Apparently this was one of those times when my rash judgment was actually somewhat accurate. I was a bit put-out that we had to help these people.

But most of my classmates didn't seem to have a problem with assisting the Beauxbatons students. The guys were showing a lot of interest in the French girls. And, I guess, the French guys weren't too bad, either. Some of them were pretty cute.

After the Beauxbatons people came in, another group followed. This time, they were led by a tall man dressed in heavy layers of fur. He greeted Slughorn, who replied politely, but it was obvious he didn't like Durmstrang's headmaster very much. To be honest, I didn't either. His hair looked like clean water was afraid of him and his eyes held a strange look. I wasn't really sure why, but he just seemed creepy to me.

Behind him, a line of about twenty students dressed in deep blood-red robes also marched in. They looked a bit better than the Beauxbatons students, so I still had hope. With any luck, I'd be paired with one of these nicer Durmstrang kids.

Aunt Maxime and Professor Pafvel—as Durmstrang's headmaster was called—took seats at the staff table while Slughorn told the students to sit wherever they pleased. He welcomed them all to our humble abode and then proceeded to talk about the topic we were all holding our breaths for.

"The moment we have all been waiting for is finally here," Slughorn began. Drum roll. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start."

He then outlined the rules and gave credit to the brilliant minds who worked on this event. Only one champion per school would be chosen to compete, and they would be tested through three challenging tasks over the course of the year. The champion who performed the best would win the Triwizard Cup.

But of course, we all knew that already. The Tournament was legendary.

"To choose the students representing each magical school, there will be an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire." Slughorn used his wand to tap the top of a casket brought in by Filch the caretaker—Dad's always surprised to hear that he's still going, and that his cat, Mrs. Norris, was still being a tattle-tale. The lid creaked open and he reached inside, pulling out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. Its plain design did nothing to take away from the coolness of it, though, especially with blue-white flames dancing on the cup's brim.

"Anyone who wishes to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school on a piece of parchment and drop it in the cup. All aspiring champions have twenty-four hours," he explained in a slightly bored tone.

I knew that Slughorn hated giving rules, which was one of the awesome things about him—despite his questionably sadistic tendencies. "Tomorrow night, on Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three worthy to represent their school. But, to avoid temptation, keep in mind that the goblet will not even take into account those who are underage. Of course," he added uncharacteristically kindly, "the celebration afterwards for the Champions is open to all, so the younger students need not be disappointed."

YES! I was so glad my birthday had already passed. I heard Al breathe a sigh of relief; his was only last week.

But still, it would so suck to be all those kids who were underage. I heard a guy yell, "But isn't age just a number?"

Apparently Slughorn's niceness had its limitations, so he ignored the poor kid and went on. "Lastly, I wish to remind you all that this competition should not be entered lightly." I was a bit shocked at how serious he sounded, but I understood the enormity of the Tournament. People had died and it was canceled for a long time due to the alarming death toll.

In fact, the last time the Triwizard Tournament was held was when my parents were in Fourth Year. Uncle Harry and Aunt Fleur were both champions, and a person named Cedric Diggory had died. It really was dangerous.

He continued, "Once a champion is selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is bound to a magical contract and must see the tournament to its end. I hope every one of you considers your actions seriously, because no change of heart can occur once you become a champion."

He paused, letting his words mull over, although I was sure it had no effect on us rebellious teenagers. "But, enough for now, it's time to rest. Good night to you all." The amused glint in his eyes was back. "And remember, Seventh Year Hogwarts students, you will each receive an individual reminder informing you of your _honorable _responsibility."

Really, I applauded these innovative methods to promote interschool unity.

_Not._

* * *

I woke up super late the next morning because I adored sleeping in. I was so grateful it was a Saturday and still the weekend. I was really like Dad in this way, and usually it's Mum and Hugo waiting for Dad and I to get ready when we go out. It was quite funny, actually—well, except when Mum's patience wore out. Then I shamelessly blame the delay on Dad.

He shows me the same courtesy.

I couldn't wait to get down to the Great Hall and submit my name into the Goblet of Fire. I actually spent a long time last night thinking about it. I knew that it wasn't some joke, and I was really excited about it. There was even 1000 galleon prize money for the winner.

Funnily enough, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had only really gone into business because Uncle Harry had given his prize money to Uncle George and his twin brother who had passed away during the War, Uncle Fred. I wanted to do something good with the money if I won, too.

I hurriedly brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my dark auburn hair. I had wanted to cut it forever ago, but I never had any time. I wasn't complaining, though, because I sort of semi-liked my wavy hair. Of course it wasn't the perfect straight, bright red hair that Aunt Ginny and Lily had, but I took what I got.

I searched my closet for something to wear. I didn't usually make that much of an effort on my appearance, but for some reason, the better-than-thou attitude some of those foreign students were sporting just made me want to look better. But definitely not because I wanted to impress them. As if.

It was sunny outside, so I decided on a navy blue dress with white, red, and orange flowers adorning it. It was above the knee and had thin straps, so I pulled on a cream-colored sweater. I thought I actually looked pretty good—or so I hoped, anyway.

Before leaving me room, I tore off a scrap of parchment and scribbled my name and _Hogwarts_ on it, my heart thumping excitedly. I didn't know if I would be chosen, but I had to try.

Al was finishing off a Transfiguration essay in the common room we shared. That was one of the advantages about being Head Girl. Besides getting a shiny badge, I also didn't have to be around all my classmates _all the time_. Not that I didn't love them or anything.

With his dark untidy hair, one would've thought he had just woken up. But I knew better (besides, it was just that Potter trait that girls _loved_ so much). His green eyes were clear and lucid—even if a bit frustrated.

"Oh, look. She's alive."

"Told you to start that thing last week," I grinned at his procrastination.

Al was really smart, but he had inherited Uncle Harry's not-so-smooth procrastination skills. Mum still badgered him about it to this very day. I knew 'cause I was usually the one standing around that Uncle Harry complained to, until he realized that I was her daughter, that is. Then I assume he goes off to find my Dad or something.

"Shut up, Rose," he muttered.

"Now, now, Alby," I said patiently. "Is that any way to treat your best-est friend and most favorit-est cousin?"

He just ignored me for a second, but apparently some brilliant idea hit him. He looked at me hopefully. "Well, you know all that favoritism goes both ways, right?"

I sighed, "I'll take a look at it later." Unfortunately, he _was_ my favorite cousin and best friend. Curse him.

Al let out a joyful whoop. "You know I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

He smiled, "Are you going to enter the Tournament?"

"Of course." I gave him a _what about you?_ look.

He gave me one of those _duh_ looks. It slightly annoyed me how good he was at them.

I smiled, though, because I was happy we were both going to take a shot at it. "Yay! Okay, I'm going now. Are you coming?" I stared at him pityingly, "On second thought, though, are you sure your short legs can take the walk down?" He was actually way taller than me, but he never missed a shot at my height, so I looked for every opportunity.

It's what cousins did.

I mean, I wasn't even all that short, just around 5'6"—of course, that didn't mean much in my freakishly tall family.

He laughed at me, not even responding. Some days, I really had to reconsider why he was my best friend. It may have had to do with that strange-looking drink that he claimed he spent all afternoon making with his mum when we were three, which he insisted on me drinking. Definitely worth investigating into.

He chucked something in my direction. It was a _Deluxe Edition Chocolate Frog Set—Will Keep You Hopping All Day! _I raised my eyebrows; those marketing people sure were something, huh?

"Happy Halloween!"

Ooooh, right! Halloween, one of the most wonderful times of the year. I actually kind of forgot about it. I ripped the package open, and threw one of the frogs inside at the aforementioned favorite cousin of mine. "Happy Halloween," I told him cheerfully.

Al caught it easily examined it critically, face full of excitement. "Oh, wow, look how cool these are! I've never seen anything like 'em before in my entire life. You must have spent all day picking this out for me."

I rolled me eyes at him. "Oh shut up. It isn't like it's Christmas or something." I wondered if that boy was just _naturally_ annoying.

Just then, two envelopes appeared on the table. Al and I exchanged glances for about half a second and grabbed the one that had our name on it.

I tore it open and skimmed through the letter. It was basically the same stuff Slughorn said about our foreign student responsibilities, blah blah blah. But the bottom of the letter was what was most interesting.

_Scorpius Malfoy, Beauxbatons. _

Um, how exciting.

"I got some girl from Durstrang called Emily Dashkov," Al said curiously.

"Hmm, I got Scorpius Malfoy from Beauxbatons," I told him.

"Malfoy? I remember that name from the stories my mum told me about the war. I don't think Dad likes them too much."

I shrugged, since that was pretty much as far as I knew, anyways. "Who knows? Hopefully he's not a complete idiot," I said, making a face.

Al laughed, "Let's keep our fingers crossed. We should go find them."

When we went down to the entrance hall, tons of people were already up—no surprise—and were studying the Goblet of Fire as if it was the key to all their dreams. Well, I guess it really could be. But then, money couldn't buy everything—or at least that's what Mum says.

Al and I dropped our names into the Goblet of Fire. Some of the younger students who were 'guarding' it gave us a cheer. Although I wondered if the encouragement was really genuine or if it was just to distract us from the aging potion that I knew they were hiding.

"It's not going to work," I smiled at them, probably a little more evilly than needed. Uncle George and Uncle Fred had tried it before, and they ended up sprouting the finest beards in the entire school—at least according to former Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Unless your goal is to grow a beard," Al grinned cheerfully.

"I'm sure they'll be wonderful, though," I assured them.

Shocked expressions crossed their faces. I hoped those kids didn't think we were joking—I mean, we could be nice sometimes. I blamed James and Fred for ruining our good Weasley and Potter reputations.

At the Gryffindor Table, a lot of our classmates were chattering excitedly about the Tournament.

"So, have you guys met your foreign students yet?" I asked them, piling bacon, eggs, and a piece of toast and some sliced strawberries on my plate.

"Oh yeah," Sam Hughes nodded happily. "I got this French girl—Chantal. God, she's so hot." I raised an eyebrow at him and chewed on my eggs as I noticed his girlfriend, Kara, look over at him with a hurt expression.

I shook my head. He just commented on how hot some random French girl was, and she was practically encouraging it. If I were her, I would've broken up with him on the spot.

"Lucky," Dave Collins muttered darkly. "I got this weird Beauxbatons guy who doesn't talk. For all I know, he could be mute or something."

Al chuckled, "Don't worry, mate. This doesn't mean we can't get to know some of the other girls."

Dave high-fived him. I rolled my eyes and finished the rest of my breakfast. I gave up on them a long time ago, but it was no wonder they didn't have girlfriends.

"It sucks that I still have to spend half an hour a day hanging out with him, though," Dave said.

I sympathized. I remembered the letter saying something about that, and that our people would report it to our Heads of Houses for confirmation. Dire consequences and impending doom would be in store for us if we failed to spend some serious quality time with our people—or something like that.

They _really_ were going all-out on enforcing this bid for interschool unity.

But, half an hour wasn't all that bad. It could be a lot worse.

When Al and I finished eating, we decided to split up and find our special foreign students. I was jumping for joy. Sighing, I walked outside.

How in the world were we supposed to find them? I mean, I was definitely not psychic, and after all the warnings from Mum, Dad, Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny…pretty much everyone in my family (excluding Uncle Percy, because while I was polite and sat through three-hour long lectures about cauldron regulations, I didn't actually believe in a lot of what he said), I most definitely did not choose Divination as a class in Third Year.

However, Dad did say he spent three years of his life furthering his creativity while making up tragic predictions for Professor Trelawney.

But maybe Divination may have been worth looking into—what with all the benefits of expanding my imagination and everything—because I didn't enjoy the thought of going up to every guy I didn't know and ask him if he was Scorpius Malfoy.

Pros and cons, I suppose.

In the end, I walked up to a couple French-y-looking people (I had no idea what that meant, but I didn't understand _myself_ half the time). One girl looked at me with disdain, but the other seemed curious.

"Hey guys," I said cheerfully. Not much a response. Crap, these people did speak English, right? I was screwed otherwise. "Are any of you familiar with a Scorpius Malfoy?"

A girl with dark brown hair gasped and glared at me. She pulled the other girl away and started jabbering in French while pointing rudely at me.

The other girl glanced over her shoulder to look at me. She pointed in the direction of the Black Lake, smiling apologetically.

I nodded in thanks, unfazed by her friend's attitude, but definitely curious as to what brought on the outburst.

I shook my head. Not worth the time to decipher. Whatever.

Walking in the direction she had pointed, I spotted a distinct figure lounging against a great oak tree—my favorite tree.

Interesting.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and headed over there. I wondered what Malfoy was like. Hopefully, he wasn't as stuck-up as those other girls. Of course, I had never been lucky, so I wasn't holding my breath.

From what I could see, he had tousled platinum-blond hair. But even as I got closer, he didn't seem to notice me at all. Just kept on looking at his book and flipping the pages at an alarmingly fast speed. I wondered if he was actually reading any of it.

I stood there for almost two minutes. Still _nada_.

"Must be a pretty absorbing book," I remarked, sitting down on the grass next to him. I prayed to Merlin this was actually Scorpius Malfoy, because I didn't want to look like an idiot, just sitting down and chatting with random guys.

I didn't think his expression changed, but his lips curved into a fraction of a smile. "I was wondering if you planned on just standing there all day." He didn't say anything else, so I leaned over and glanced at a few lines of his book.

_Fahrenheit 451_ by Ray Bradbury. It was Muggle. I'd read it a few years ago.

"Well, you were reading as if they're going to start burning books any second. I couldn't help but be a bit concerned," I said.

Oh Merlin, I should shut up. I cringed at the corny reference, but I couldn't help myself. He'd been ignoring me!

The corner of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly, but other than that, he didn't react at all. "I wouldn't be reading if it wasn't so incredibly boring here. Hogwarts isn't all what everyone claims it to be."

I rolled my eyes. He still hadn't looked directly at me yet. What was with his aversion to eye contact? Pretty rude.

"Scorpius Malfoy." He extended his hand, finally turning his body towards me.

I was a bit shocked at his looks. Okay, understatement. Majorly shocked—but in a good way, definitely. He was lean and muscled, and…probably the most gorgeous guy I'd ever seen. I forced myself not to swallow as I met his eyes. They were gray and…looking quite amused.

Merlin. I needed to stop acting like an idiot. _Get a hold of yourself! He's just some random wizard._

"Rose Weasley," I said, shaking his hand and grateful I sounded somewhat normal. "And you're in my spot."

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. "Your spot?"

His voice was so alluring; it made me want to keep talking just to hear him talk. Hence my meaningless babbling. "Yeah, I've sat here, under this very tree, for the past seven years; and I'm not about to stop just for you."

"What, I'm not special enough for that?" he smirked.

"The specialness of this spot far exceeds you."

"I don't see your name anywhere," he remarked.

I smirked. "Actually," I pointed at the mark above his head. "It's right here."

_Rose Weasley_.

Victoire had helped me carve it into the tree during First year, when I'd declared this to be my special spot.

Victoire's awesome.

"Wow, I'm impressed," said Scorpius. He grinned, focusing on the same spot as well.

_Scorpius Malfoy _appeared neatly above my name.

"That's cheating," I declared, crossing my arms.

He smirked. "Oh, there are rules now?"

"For you," I said, smiling.

He laughed. "Why are you here, anyways?"

"I'm not allowed to make a new friend?" I asked.

"We're friends, now? That's rather sudden, isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm your Hogwarts buddy."

"Ah, the babysitter."

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm pretty sure I'd get in trouble if you, let's say, died or something."

He seemed amused. "Don't worry about it."

"I wish. But, apparently I have to spend half an hour a day with you, and you have to report it to my Head of House."

He smirked and his eyes brightened a little. "Sounds like my lucky day."

"I wish I could say the same."

"Oh, we'll see."

The smirk on Scorpius's face didn't change, and he leaned back against the tree, propped an arm behind his head and returned to his book. I stared at the lake for a while (partly to avoid staring at _him_), but I was just too bored.

Glancing behind us, I spotted a group of girls watching us—watching _him_—from behind the trees. Very tactlessly and very creepily.

I frowned. "You're so boring." _And you attract too many stalkers._

He looked at me, still wearing that expression that annoyed me so much. "Sorry, sweetheart. Not my fault you got paired up with the most boring guy at Beauxbatons."

Oh Merlin. His grin did not make me feel sorry for myself at all.

At all.

"Lucky me."

"You don't have to stay here with me," he shrugged. "I won't drown in the lake."

"We can only hope," I murmured kind of teasingly.

He smiled slightly and looked at his watch. "Looks like your half hour is up, anyways. Don't miss me too much."

I frowned. He made it sound like I had been begging to hang out with him or something. Which, to let you know, I wasn't.

"Great." I got up. "By the way, there's a giant squid in our lake."

He chuckled.

"What's with the Hogwarts hospitality, no kiss good-bye?" he yelled when I was nearly halfway to the other side of the lake, loud enough for practically everyone to hear. Actually, it sounded like he used a Sonorus charm.

Wonderful.

I resisted the urge to turn around and stick my tongue out at him. But I could still hear his laughter as I walked farther away, and I knew I was getting weird looks from people—especially the girls.

Stupid, insanely hot Beauxbatons guy.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! Please, please, please review and let me know what you think! ;D


	2. Lucky Three

_Ay Rose-o –_

_You lucky girl, you. Triwizard Tournament just has to be your year. I swear, Sluggy has it in for me. He probably waited seven years just so I wouldn't get a shot at the Tournament. Seriously, one day, I'll turn you into a rebel and you'll lead a mutiny against him, yeah?_

_You just wait. It'll happen._

_It will._

_What? It will! Don't look at me like that!_

_(Or I might just stun you and take a Polyjuice Potion to confront Sluggy. I haven't quite worked out the details, but be on the lookout. Don't say I didn't warn you.)_

_Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh. Yeah. Be safe and all that or whatever the parentals say to you kids these days._

_Figured I'd write you in advance so you don't yell at me later for never thinking about your plans._

_November 18__. Mark it. First match of the season. Puddlemere United vs. the world. Nah, just kidding. We're facing off against the bloody Tornadoes._

_You better be there. And bring Louis, Hugo, Lily, and even my brother—if he hasn't been too much of a prat (I know, not all Potters are as angelic as moi)._

_Love you kiddo, but only because I have to— James_

_P.S. Louis says to expect him sometime today, when you're least expecting it…_

:

I snorted at the "mysterious" ending. I have lovely cousins; some of us just enjoy theatrics more than others.

Okay, so maybe we _all_ had the tendency to be a tad overdramatic from time to time; but seriously, the Weasley family could star in a Hollywood movie. Lots of drama; lots of fun. I think we had the potential of selling a couple tickets.

And if traditional marketing didn't work out, we could just make my male cousins run around half-naked for advertisement. I hear some girls actually like it. (Don't ask me how I know, I just do. It was _not _a very pleasant conversation, though.)

But it was just a backup plan in case my Healer dreams didn't pan out.

Always prepared, you know.

I sighed, glancing at my watch. It was barely noon. There was still half a day left to "await" Louis' arrival.

The lucky git was off attending the wedding of one of his Delacour cousins. I'd forgotten to ask him it was a Veela one, because he's been waiting forever to be acquainted with those Veela girls.

Louis claims his sole purpose of meeting the Veelas is to connect more to his heritage, but don't believe him. I caught him and Al sharing a high-five afterward, when they thought I wasn't looking.

What can I say? I've already given up all hope on them.

But yeah, Aunt Fleur managed to convince Professor Slughorn to allow Louis a few days off—it wasn't a difficult task for her, believe me. Just ask Uncle Bill about their month-long 20th anniversary cruise; she intimidates even goblins.

An impatient _hoot_ alerted me to the faithful messenger currently scrutinizing the Second Floor corridor. James' owl was staring expectantly at me.

"No, Buddy, I _don't_ have anything for you."

Yes, his name really is Buddy. James had referred to him as "buddy" one time and the owl wouldn't answer to anything else since. (James was really disappointed; he wanted to name the owl Hercules, but Aunt Ginny didn't think it was a legitimate excuse to buy another.)

Buddy continued to eye me critically. Too bloody creepy, that owl.

"Go to the Owlery! They have tons of yummy treats there," I encouraged as persuasively as possible while conversing with overly-intelligent owls.

You know, just one of those things I did every other day.

Buddy narrowed his eyes, and I could almost decipher the look of acute disappointment reflected in his hazel orbs. Oh Merlin, I was going mad.

"Just go," I pleaded—before I lose my mind. I nodded emphatically towards the open windows. "Please?"

He looked at me one last time, and shook his feathers haughtily before taking off.

Ugh. I swear. Buddy was too much like his owner. James probably taught him how to drive me insane.

I needed to have a talk with James about how he trained his owl. Maybe at his game.

The 18th, was it?

I checked James' letter for verification, grinning at how genuinely excited he was about this. James had aspired to be a Quidditch star ever since we were kids, and he'd worked super hard to attain his dream.

(Including scheduling inhumane Quidditch practices. Nothing was to interfere with his plans of going pro.

Al, Louis, and I led a mutiny once.

James wasn't too pleased.)

But the invitation was really sort of a formality; of _course_ we'd all come to James' match. If Slughorn wasn't going to let us take the Saturday off, there was an easy way around it. He loved free tickets. Or we could just ask Aunt Fleur, Aunt Ginny, or my mum down here. The possibilities were endless, and we—

The letter suddenly went flying out of my hands. Someone had run into me, knocking me off-balance, or was it the other way around?

I threw my arms back to brace the impact against the stone floors, hoping I wouldn't sprain a wrist (Louis would kill me if I couldn't play). My eyes shut instinctively.

I hated falling.

Really. It was only somewhat better in midair, from a broomstick. That way, there was a farther distance to cover before actually landing on solid ground.

I gasped.

I could feel something supporting my waist, my neck—and it wasn't the floor.

Someone had caught me.

My eyes flew open, and I instantly wished I hadn't opened them.

_Fantastic._

The person staring down at me was way too familiar for my liking.

_Hello, Beauxbatons guy._

Why me?

Scorpius Malfoy smirked at me. "You need to watch where you're going."

I let out a breath I wasn't aware of holding, my face heating up. "Maybe you're the one that needs to watch where you're going."

He pulled me upright. "I just saved you. Are all Hogwarts girls this unappreciative?"

"Only to you," I said sweetly. "Maybe you should go around looking for other girls to save."

Scorpius handed me James' letter. "Maybe I don't want to."

My lips curved. "Thanks."

His eyes widened dramatically. "Did you just say what I think you said? You actually _thanked_ me? I thought I'd have to wait all day to hear that."

I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed. "Oh, and you really would have?"

"Scor! Come on! Headmistress is waiting for us," a heavily-accented voice urged. Four French guys stood at the far end of the hall.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek to repress the smile. They were _very_ easy on the eyes.

"Hold on!" Scorpius called back. He turned back towards me. "We're all practicing our English," he said, smirking. "You should tutor me."

I frowned, perplexed. "You speak perfect English…" Why was that? Why didn't he sport a French accent like the rest of his peers? And how did it take me this long to realize?

Scorpius laughed, beginning to walk away. "Oh and Rose? Maybe I would have."

I stared at his retreating figure. _What?_

* * *

The rest of the day flew by without much event, but at dinner, the anticipation was palpable in the air. Everyone was waiting for the big moment, waiting for the unveiling of the Goblet of Fire once more.

Therefore, even though there was a magnificent feast laid out, dinner seemed to drag on forever.

Fortunately, I'd found something else to amuse myself with.

I was currently grinning at a sulking Potter. He was _quite_ put-out after meeting Emily Dashkov, his Durmstrang buddy.

"You aren't intimidated by her, are you?" I asked innocently.

"Have you _seen_ her?" Al demanded. "She could defeat three Mountain Trolls with her bare hands!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Are you jealous because she's more muscular than you?"

I felt slightly guilty for aggravating Al even further because I knew he was very anxious about the Champion selection, but I figured he needed a distraction. While Al was generally relaxed and a lot of fun, he could be ultracompetitive, too—especially in situations where he felt the need to live up to a standard: in this case, his dad.

Exasperated, Al scowled at me. "Oh please, have you _seen_ these babies?" He flexed his arms, looking very impressed with himself.

I slapped my hand against my forehead.

Yes, in case anyone was wondering, I'm frequently subjected to these showcases of "manliness". I'm such a supportive best friend (read: VICTIM!).

"There's nothing more to say," I muttered to the refined wood table, ignoring the git next to me.

"Spite is an ugly color on you, Rose," Al chided.

"I thought that was one of those things you were never supposed to say to a girl," mused an all-too-familiar voice.

I lifted my head in excitement. "Louis!"

He grinned, but ignored me otherwise. "Or was that calling them fat?"

"Hey mate!" said Al cheerfully, greeting him with their special handshake. "Welcome back! How did the wedding go?"

"Boring as hell, Al. Seriously, no fun at all. And to think, we have Tori and Teddy's to look forward to in a few months." Louis shook his head, groaning. "Anyway, it's good to be back; that is, if you discount homework, studying, Rose…"

I crossed my arms petulantly. "I was going to give you a hug, but then I remembered how much I can't stand pricks."

We looked at each other in silence, committing to the ultimate stare-down. Al stood behind Louis, making weird faces at me.

(Cheater!)

Damnit, now I really need to blink. .

Five seconds later, Louis and I both burst out laughing.

"Rosie-dooby-doo!"

"Louis-tatouille!" I giggled, hugging him. "I missed you!"

Okay, so he was only gone for four days. But for us, it was a lifetime!

"If anyone asks, we're not related," Al remarked, slowly inching away from us.

Louis and I exchanged a look of mutual understanding, turning to Al at the same time.

"Albus in Wonderland!" We cackled synchronically before collapsing lovingly on him.

Okay, so we were definitely drawing the attention of… most of the Great Hall. But who cares?

Al sighed in resignation. "Well, there goes _my_ reputation," he said, smirking slightly as he patted my back and attempted to shove Louis away from us.

"What reputation?" Louis said, laughing while Al flipped him off. "So, you guys both entered the Tournament?"

"Yeah, mate. Wish you could've gotten back sooner."

Louis shrugged. "Eh, you know I'm not that into this type of stuff."

And it was the truth. Pretty much the only thing Louis was competitive about was Quidditch, but that was it. We all felt the pressure of living up to our parents' names, but he was able to deal with it way better than Al and I—particularly Al.

I've finally realized that my parents just want me to be the best I could be; it had nothing to do with some silly societal expectation.

Of course, I had my own reasons for wanting to be great, but they had nothing to do with whatever other people thought of me. That didn't matter. Not anymore.

On the other hand, Al always worked so hard trying to prove to everyone that he was good enough to be the son of Harry and Ginny Potter. It was completely unnecessary, but that was just what Al did.

So because he wanted this so badly—to be chosen as Hogwarts' Champion—I didn't anymore. I did want it, but I was okay with not being selected if Al could have the opportunity.

Then again, I _didn't _want him to be picked either, because a part of me worried about the dangers of the Tournament, and I didn't want Al to get hurt, even though it was _supposed _to be safe and…agh, I was sounding like my mum.

"Well, we're all hoping for Al to be picked. He'd be a kick-arse Champion," I said, grinning at Al.

Louis chuckled. "Definitely," he nodded supportively; we both knew exactly what Al was feeling at this moment. "Oh, I almost forgot." Louis reached into his backpack and handed me a parcel. "Here you go, Rose. From Jamesie."

I took it tentatively from him, glancing suspiciously at the packaging. The frolicking Muggle M&M wrapping paper seemed innocent enough; but with James, you could never be too careful.

I tore the wrapping off gingerly. Inside was something made of a smooth fabric, folded in—

_Pshhoo! Pshhoo! Bing! Bang!_

What the hell!

James' present suddenly flung itself onto my head, and started emitting fireworks!

"What the hell is going on?" I shrieked at Louis and Al, both of whom were laughing uncontrollably.

Traitors. I hope you choke on your pumpkin juice.

"What?" Albus held his hands up in innocence. "I had nothing to do with it, I swear. But…you really got to hand it to James." And with that convincing argument, he dissolved into laughter again; at least he was kind enough to conjure a mirror for me.

Gazing into the mirror, my brain immediately began plotting _1001 Ways to Kill James Sirius Potter: Extended Edition_.

The hat glued to my head flashed the logo of Puddlemere United, the team my dearest cousin played for. And every 11 seconds or so, multi-colored streamers and confetti would burst out, spelling the words: _PUDDLEMERE UNITED IS THE BEST!_

And if that wasn't bad enough, let's punish Rose some more! There was also a bright fluorescent arrow pointing down at me, broadcasting_ JAMES POTTER'S #1 FAN!_

At least the arrow was in a nice electric blue. That was always a plus. I liked blue.

Regardless, I tugged fiercely at the hat—uselessly, of course. I gritted my teeth at the unsurprising failure of an attempt.

I always argue with James over Quidditch. Dad had drilled into me from birth that the Chudley Cannons were the best Quidditch team in the history of the universe.

I vaguely remember sitting in my crib and staring up at my dad quizzing me on Cannons' flashcards while Mum berated him about not investing as much effort into my infant education, but that could just be my imagination.

But because of that, I always defend the Cannons against James.

And thus, he resolutely embarked upon his mission to convert me into the greatest Puddlemere United and James Potter fan—ever.

I was not impressed in the slightest.

"James is going to die," I hissed at Louis and Al, who, being the supportive best mates they undoubtedly are, were still laughing.

"The hat looks great on you, Rose," Al guffawed. "Who knew James had such great taste?"

Maybe I should add another Potter to my "TO KILL" list. I hope Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny don't mind. I'm sure if I pleaded my case to them, they'd understand.

Besides, Lily's always expressed interest in being an only child.

"And you," I turned to Louis. "_You_ helped deliver this!"

"Hey, don't blame the messenger!" Louis said defensively, although the effect was somewhat ruined by his laughter.

"I'm going to be writing an extremely strong-worded letter tonight," I told my traitorous _best mates_—it was what Mum did. "And, you will both be there to help."

It was a miracle how quickly the blood drained from their faces.

"Rose, really—"

"It's—"

"Completely unnecessary—"

"You know that—"

Suddenly, the M&M paper used to wrap James "present" fluttered up in front of our faces.

Al reached out for it. "James says that he'll only give you the countercharm if you take a picture of his victory."

I rolled my eyes, exasperated. "Fine. Anyone have a camera, then?"

"Oh, hey look! I just coincidentally have mine with me," Louis said cheerily.

I eyed it suspiciously. "How convenient, Louis."

He grinned innocently. "Well, you know me. Always here to help."

Pfft. Innocent my arse. You could never trust those Weasleys. Or _us _Weasleys, I guess. Or…yeah, the Weasleys are always up to no good.

I quickly snapped a picture of myself with James' thoughtful "present".

I shot them an expectant look.

Al grinned, referring back to the paper. "Okay, now all you have to—"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Professor Longbottom coming towards us.

"Hello Rose. Is everything—" he paused, his eyes widening as he stared at the danger zone above my head. Oh wow, he was actually reading the words the hat was spelling!

A look of frustration washed over him. "Damn, I owe Ron 50 galleons!"

"What?"

I couldn't believe they were betting on this!

My own dad! (Well no, that part really wasn't all that surprising.)

"Er, right. Never mind that. Guys," Uncle Neville began more firmly. "I came by to tell you three to keep it down over here…or…or detention!"

"Professor," Louis said disapprovingly. "You really shouldn't be talking. _You're_ the one betting on students here."

"Yeah, I reckon that's child endangerment," remarked Al. "Don't you agree?"

Uncle Neville glanced at us nervously. "Oh, would you look at the time. I have to go, lots…of chicken needing to be cut. I need to feed…the plants."

First of all, eww. I refuse to believe all of his plants are carnivores. That's just wrong.

Second of all, I still can't believe they bet on this!

"Ay Rose," said Al. "Look over here." He waved his wand at me, murmuring, "_Encama jetruse_."

I beamed. "Thanks, Al!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, the hat's gone, but James says the highlighter sign will remain for at least a couple hours."

I reexamined myself in the mirror. The electric blue letters winked obnoxiously at me.

Ugh. James better watch his back the next time I see him.

Oh well.

I turned, grinning evilly at Louis. "But I'm still blaming the messenger!" I announced, flinging an arm around Al, purposefully scooting us both away from Louis.

"Wow," said Louis, aghast. "I see the two of you have formed a disgusting alliance while I was away." His eyebrows rose so dramatically, I had to turn my giggle into a coughing fit.

"Yep," I confirmed solemnly. "Al's the only one for me."

Al nodded in affirmation, throwing his arm around me as well. "Too true. You're just not good enough for us, mate."

Louis donned his most horrified face. "Fine, I see how it is. I don't need you guys, anyway. I have…" he surveyed the immediate area. "Hugo! Come here, old buddy, old pal."

My brother briefly detached himself from his food, looking even more horrified.

Al and I were in hysterics.

Moments later, after the exchange of some very creative curse words, Louis ran back to us. "Take me back, please! I don't want to be stuck with those dwarfs!"

"Oi! We resent that!" remarked a chorus of disgruntled voices from further down the Gryffindor table.

"Only if you promise never again to deliver suspicious goods for James," I said.

"You're no fun," said Louis, scowling at me.

Al grinned. "Yeah mate, but you're _more_ than welcome to be our slave for life—"

Al broke off as the chatter in the Great Hall died abruptly. The golden plates had returned to its original spotless state.

It was time.

As Slughorn got to his feet, every single person directed his or her attention to the front of the room, where the Goblet of Fire had been moved.

Aunt Maxime and Pafvel looked as tense and expectant as everyone else, but the two Ministry officials who would also be judges for the Tournament—I recognized them as Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, Dad's friends—simply appeared nostalgic.

"Damnit, I missed the food," Louis muttered to Al, glaring at the empty plates.

I rolled my eyes, reaching into my bag and tossing him a roast beef sandwich. I'd stowed it away earlier in case he didn't arrive in time for dinner.

I also wasn't opposed to a midnight snack.

"Thanks, Rose!" Louis whispered.

I inclined my head, not bothering to look at him.

"I know that everyone is excited, but the Goblet is just about ready to make its decisions," said Slughorn. "When the Champions' names are called—" He paused suddenly.

Shit. His gaze landed on me, pleasantly surprised.

"Miss Weasley, beautiful hair accessory, but please try to control it." He gave me an encouraging thumbs-up. "On the plus side, your headmaster is forty galleons richer. I told Minerva she would lose!"

Oh my…agh. I'm…agh. Flabbergasted. Stunned. Shocked. Did everyone make a bet on this? What was there even to bet on?

I was suddenly all-too-aware of all the eyes in the room on me, and I was positive my face was horribly flushed. Why did there have to be Anti-Apparition Wards in the castle? Why couldn't I just disappear when I so needed to?

Urgh.

James.

(I think, from now on, I'll just blame James for everything.)

Professor Slughorn cleared his throat. "As I was saying, when the Champions are called, I would ask them to please come to the front of the Hall and enter the next chamber." Slughorn indicated the door behind the staff table. "There, they will receive their first instructions."

No one moved a muscle or made a single noise as he waved his wand, distinguishing all the candles inside the floating carved pumpkins.

We were plunged into a state of semidarkness, the only light shining being from the Goblet of Fire, whose dancing blue-white flames were mesmerizing. The brightness of it was almost painful, but I was sure no one dared to lose sight of it.

Suddenly, the flames turned red and sparks began to fly from it. Then, a tongue of flame shot out, a charred piece of parchment fluttering out from it—the whole room gasped.

Slughorn caught it. "The Champion from Durmstrang," he read clearly, "will be Aleksandr Ivashkov."

I clapped and cheered along with everyone else, enjoying the atmosphere. We watched as a tall brown-haired wizard with a serious expression rose and walked to the front, disappearing through the doors leading into the next chamber.

Many of his fellow Durmstrang people looked quite disappointed—although "disappointed" may have been an understatement. Two of the girls who hadn't been chosen had dissolved into tears. Pafvel shot them a disapproving glare.

"Lucky guy," Al muttered under his breath.

I squeezed his arm reassuringly.

The cheering soon died down, and everyone focused attentively on the Goblet. Seconds later, it turned red once more and a second piece of parchment flew out, propelled by more flames.

"The Champion for Beauxbatons," said Slughorn, "is Scorpius Malfoy."

Even more applause broke out, and I saw my Beauxbatons buddy stand up, seeming perfectly at ease. I sighed. It figured _he_ would be the one to be selected. As he walked towards the door in front of the Hall, he caught my eye and grinned.

I couldn't help it. I grinned back.

Louis raised an eyebrow in interest. Apparently he saw whatever exchange I had with Scorpius.

I mean, it wasn't even that big of a deal.

So yeah, Louis! Stop being so paranoid!

I shrugged and whispered, "He's my foreign buddy. I'm sure Slughorn will tell you yours after this."

"Right," he nodded. But that knowing look in his eyes still bothered me. I ignored it.

When Scorpius had vanished into the chamber, silence immediately took the Hall once more. I could almost taste the excitement in the air. Hogwarts was up next.

Turning red again, sparks showered from the Goblet as a third piece of parchment shot out.

I took a deep breath, grabbing Al's and Louis's hands on either side of me.

"The Champion for Hogwarts," Slughorn called—_Please let it be Al, or please don't let it be him, or—_

"—is Albus Potter."

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Your thoughts are super appreciated. ;D Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Chats

**Chapter 3 - Chats**

My heart was gripped in both anxiety and excitement, just as the Great Hall became engulfed in silence.

Then, Louis broke the ice. "Yeah! Al!" he yelled, "That's my best mate!" and the packed room immediately burst into applause.

I laughed and pulled Al into a hug before urging him towards the front of the Hall. He was in complete shock and strode forward almost mechanically. I shared a knowing grin with Louis: _he did it!_ He was Hogwarts' champion!

As soon as Al found his way through the chamber doors, Slughorn rose, signaling the end of the Champion selection. Informing us all cheerfully that the festivities would begin in this same hall, in an hour's time, our headmaster—along with Professor Pafvel, Aunt Maxime, Uncle Dean, and Uncle Seamus—disappeared into the chamber as well.

I was dying to know what they were talking about inside. Al had better tell us everything later—or Louis and I were going to break out the emergency Veritaserum.

Louis was going to catch up with his roommates, but before he left, he graciously performed the countercharm to vanish James' ridiculous present. I thought about joining him in Gryffindor Tower, but decided instead to return to the Heads' Tower. There was still some paperwork to catch up on, and I thought I'd be a good cousin and finish up Al's part for him.

Yeah, he had _better _be generous in his Christmas presents this year. Of course, anything would beat last year's autographed Gilderoy Lockhart boxers. I shuddered from just thinking about it. Cousins could be such pains in the arse.

* * *

"…the latest model, of course. I never have anything but the best, obviously. Anyways, so…"

I nodded my head politely as Tim Corner droned on and on about his new broomstick. He was Hufflepuff's Keeper, and his own biggest fan.

(There were rumors that he'd started his own fan club, but I haven't yet been able to dig up sufficient information to verify that claim.)

After finishing all of my paperwork, I had dutifully dragged myself from my heavenly bed, gotten dressed up, and stalked down to the Great Hall for the celebratory party. Of course, I had barely set foot into the room before Corner accosted me and began reciting his life story.

Why did I decide to leave my bed again? Oh yeah, I'm an idiot.

I subtly glanced around the room, hoping to catch the eye of anyone who might take pity on me and save me from this… this self-obsessed _thing_—I mean, save me from Corner.

Of course, I hadn't seen anyone familiar in the last half hour. Well, apart from Al, but he ignored me as he was completely engrossed in conversation with two Beauxbatons girls: very French, very attractive, made for a very happy Al (the traitor!). It didn't look like I was getting out of this conversation any time soon.

"Say, how do you feel about getting out of here and taking this back to my common room?"

_What?_

I stared wide-eyed at Corner's expectantly smug face. How had the conversation even reached this point? We were talking about broomsticks! I like broomsticks! Go back to your broomstick monologue, Tim!

Outwardly, I blinked a couple of times and politely said, "Pardon?"

Corner chuckled in a slightly lecherous manner and said, "Come back to my common room with me, Rose."

I gaped at him dumbly. "Er… umm… I… well, you see… um—"

"Unfortunately, Rose can't because she promised to keep me company at this party," a smooth voice cut in.

Never in my life had I been so happy to see Scorpius Malfoy. (Okay, so I had only just met him, but Merlin was I grateful right now.)

His gaze met mine, silver eyes sparkling in amusement as he turned to Corner (whose eyes were narrowing in anger), "Thanks for keeping her company, mate. Hey, you're Tim Corner, aren't you? The big Quidditch star?"

I watched in fascination as Corner's eyes brightened in pride. "Er, yeah! How did you know?"

Scorpius' grin was almost dangerous. "We all know you at Beauxbatons; you're quite a… _legendary_ Keeper."

Corner smirked in self-satisfaction, not detecting the sarcasm underscoring Scorpius' tone as I did. "Oh, I _know_ I am. I'm just relieved the rest of the world is aware of my prodigious skills. Anyways, gotta go, folks. Need to share this with my adoring fan club."

And with that, Corner flounced off toward the seating area in the back, leaving me to gape at his retreating ego.

"_Fan club_?" Scorpius chuckled in disbelief.

"Rumor is he founded the club himself," I told him conspiratorially.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Scorpius smirked. "Quite the entrepreneurial spirit."

I grinned. "Oh, absolutely. But how did you know he's such a Quidditch airhead?"

Scorpius shrugged. "I was talking to a few Ravenclaw blokes about their chances for the Quidditch Cup. Excited they didn't cancel Quidditch for the Tournament?"

"You have no idea," I laughed. "My family is pretty obsessed. Do you play?"

"A little," he said, smiling wryly as if remembering an inside joke. Then he continued in a much lighter tone, "Nearly everyone tries it at least once, though."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it can be really useful, too. My uncle Harry got past the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament with his broomstick. _Oh_, that reminds me, congratulations!" I smiled. "How does it feel to be a Champion?"

"Nothing new. I feel like a champion everyday," answered Scorpius, though, fortunately, his roguish grin belied the seriousness of his tone.

I rolled my eyes, laughing in spite of myself. _Were all Beauxbatons wizards this impossible?_

* * *

a/n: I know that it's been forever since I last updated, but thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think! Reviews are so very appreciated! :)


	4. Hot and Cold

**Chapter 4 - Hot and Cold**

The next two weeks passed by in a blur.

Between a full course load of NEWT classes, Head Girl duties, and helping Al prepare for the First Task, I hardly had any time for a social life.

I relished the half hours I spent chatting (read: engaging in harmless gossip) with my old dorm mates, because there were only so many times I could help Al practice Summoning Charms.

Still, it was hilarious thinking up creative things to summon, like Louis' pants. Although, despite the fact that he'd been in the middle of the Great Hall at dinnertime, he was utterly unembarrassed, even going so far as to hop up onto the table and take a bow for all of the ladies in the room. That boy was shameless, really.

Anyways, one night, I was enjoying my 30 minutes of peace in the 7th year Gryffindor girls dormitories—one of the only places where Al couldn't demand to practice more defense charms, given that he is (or so he claims) male, and even the Marauder's Map and the Potter charm couldn't get past that staircase (though James swears he did it…)—when Cassie Bakers, one of the friendliest girls on the planet, said:

"Did you guys know that Teresa Flannery is telling everyone she's dating Scorpius Malfoy, the Beauxbatons champion? Merlin is that bloke fit!"

My stomach chose that particular moment to do a weird, flip-flop thing.

"Are you joking? What's she saying?" Kate Fleming asked skeptically. Kate's awesome and my best non-related mate.

"Hmm… not much, just that, really. She wasn't really giving much detail, but Kristen Atherton _did _say she saw them walking together one time after Herbology…" Cassie mused.

My last former dorm mate, Riley Chase, snorted in sardonic amusement, "Oh please. Walking in the same direction that everyone else is walking in after a class is hardly considered dating. Besides, I really can't fathom what those blokes see in that slag."

Excellent points, Riley! Although, I had forgotten that Flannery was a sore subject for her. Back in fifth year, Riley caught her boyfriend cheating on her with Flannery. Needless to say, we pulled off an epic revenge prank on both of them, but that still didn't soften the pain.

"Well, that's obvious. Her magically enhanced double-D's, of course," Kate replied, rolling her eyes.

"It's a shame she can't magically enhance her brain," I smirked, causing the others to giggle even more. It was true, though. Teresa Flannery was very pretty in the overly-made up, short-skirted sort of way, but she possessed almost zero brain cells.

Riley, now visibly more cheered, sighed dramatically and mockingly reprimanded us, "Oh, you girls are just too mean sometimes."

"But that's why you love us," Cassie sing-songed. "Seriously, about this Malfoy bloke, though. Did you guys catch that Quidditch match he was playing with his mates? Such a fantastic Chaser. So dreamy."

Riley nodded her head in agreement. "Rich, too, from what I hear. He's heir to his family's billion galleon company."

"He sounds perfect," sighed Cassie.

Kate laughed. "Well Rose is the lucky one. She's his foreign buddy, right?" she asked in confirmation, eying me curiously.

I cringed slightly. "Er—yeah, I am. But, I don't really talk to him, because… since the First Task is only weeks away, and I have to spend most of my spare time training Al and Scorpius obviously has to practice as well, we kind of agreed to lie about our daily meetings," I mumbled guiltily.

I felt bad lying and I did enjoy talking to Scorpius. However, as it felt like the days leading up to November 25th were seriously flying by, I figured it'd be best for all of us if we just focused on the Tournament for now.

Besides, I hadn't really spoken to him since that night, because even though we took most of the same classes now, he usually sat with his group of friends…

Okay, so maybe I wished he'd occasionally sit by me, but it wasn't a big deal. Really.

And also, he was allowed to date whomever he wanted to. It mattered not to me. Seriously.

Riley scoffed. "The Head Girl, cheating? Who'd have thought?"

I grinned half-heartedly at her but was more focused on Kate, who seemed in deep contemplation. "Interesting," she murmured. "So who initiated the break from meetings? You or him?"

"Me, the night of the champion selection," I said, remembering when I awkwardly suggested the deception to him. It'd taken Scorpius a moment to answer me, and I wasn't sure if I'd imagined his slightly deflated expression or not…

"_What?_" Cassie shrieked, appalled. "So you voluntarily prevented yourself from spending time with that god of a man? You're bonkers, Rose!"

Alarmed, I tried to placate her boy-crazy mind. "Calm down, Cass. It's just logical for now. He and Al really need to practice for the First Task and I really don't have much time to spend with him, anyways! Besides, I've seen him in class, and he seems fine hanging out with his mates." I muttered the last part slightly more bitterly than intended, and caught a knowing smirk from Kate.

I rolled my eyes at the too-smart-for-her-own-good brunette. She knew nothing.

"Wait," said Cassie. "You're in here, now! You have time, right now! Get your arse out of here and down to that delicious Frenchman stat, Weasley!"

Before I could even blink, Cassie had her wand out and ejected me from the room. Bemused, I heard overly happy voices chorus, "Have fun!" "We want details!" and "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Laughing at their silliness, I marched down the staircase. Maybe they were right. I really _should_ allow myself to have more fun (aside from the occasional goofing off with my cousins). I was taking this Triwizard Tournament deal a little too seriously, and I wasn't even the one competing!

Really, I worried even myself sometimes.

It was time to relax a little, starting tomorrow.

* * *

However, tomorrow turned out not to be a day of nice, peaceful relaxation. In fact, it was one of those days probably purposely designed by Merlin to make my life miserable.

I'd woken up at 2:00 AM to the sound of Al puking in the bathroom. He had a horrible case of stomach flu, and I waited two hours for him to be calm enough to make it down to the Hospital Wing. Then, I slept in the chair next to his bed for the next few hours, before heading back to my room to get ready for the day. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey was kind enough to give me a few Energizing Potions. Merlin knew I'd need it.

However, even with the potions, I spent my classes trying hard not to doze off, especially in History of Magic.

Of course, word must have gotten to Professor Binns that today was the day to make my life hell, since he decided to give us a surprise at the end of the lecture.

Yeah, the three-foot long essay on the Pixie Skirmishes of 1704 that was supposed to be due three weeks from now? It's now due tomorrow.

If my eyes were capable of producing tears, I would've cried. Sadly, I was robbed of that consoling action as well.

I barely registered seeing Louis next to the portrait of Morgana in the Tapestry Corridor. As we headed to the Hospital Wing to check up on Al during our lunch period, I informed Louis of Binns' insanity.

"Thank Merlin I dropped that class," said Louis, clapping me on the back sympathetically.

I sighed. "I know. I hate today."

We found Al eating some chicken noodle soup and poring over a heavy tome on dangerous magical beasts. And to both my and Louis' delight, the house-elves had already brought up extra servings of lunch for us. They were amazing creatures.

"Hey, I forgot. Will you be okay running the Prefects' meeting by yourself tonight?" Al asked.

I stared at him, feeling my heart sink. I'd have even less time to work on the History essay. Hopefully, I'd be able to find a book on the Pixie Skirmishes still left in the library after the meeting.

Agh. Today sucked. At least I didn't have anything else due tomorrow.

I looked at Al with what I hoped to be a reassuring smile. "Of course! It's routine stuff. It'll be simple."

Of course, we both knew that with these mostly pedantic Prefects, the meeting was going to be unnecessary long and full of pointless questions. They always were.

* * *

Ignoring Madam Pince's disapproving glare as I rushed into the library, I headed straight to the History section in the back. I'd managed to escape the wrath of the Hogwarts Prefects relatively unscathed, but it was already ten past seven and I was getting a little worried.

Hmm, pixies. Where art thou?

I ventured towards the far corner of the History section. It was literally the most secluded part of the library (excepting the Restricted Section), because only the handful of N.E.W.T.-level History students stupid enough to subject themselves to more torture ever needed to use the texts back there.

AKA: me.

Spotting a catalog on the edge of the aisle, I quickly searched for something I could use. Apparently, the only related text left was C. Barnstorms' _Pixie Pride_. It seemed that my classmates had checked out all of the other books, but at least something usable remained.

With little time to waste, I perused the shelves for this stupidly important book.

… Ball… Bane… Bar… Barnstorms!

Yes! I happily pulled the old leather book from the shelf. I'd finish this essay in no time!

"Hey!" a rather irritated tone exclaimed from the other side of the bookshelves.

_What in Merlin's…? _I stared in surprise as a hand frantically searched the empty space that Barnstorms used to occupy.

Determined footsteps rounded the corner to my side of the shelves. "Excuse me, but I really—oh. Rose?"

Abruptly pulled from my state of shock, my smile was entirely too happy and nervous as I studied the familiar figure before me. Of course I'd caught glimpses of him during classes, but I still sort of missed his company. (Yeah, I know, the whole situation was of my own doing, but still…) And those chiseled features and striking gray eyes certainly didn't hurt, either.

"Hey, Scorpius."

He gave me a tired smile. "Stealing books now? You're looking for something for Binns' essay, too, I take it."

I nodded slowly, it only just registering that he was one of the few foreign students in my History class. "Yeah, but it looks like I got the last one…"

Scorpius sighed, muttering under his breath, "I knew I should've skipped that meeting with Maxime."

An idea suddenly occurred to me. _Have fun! _I could almost hear Cassie in my head. "Um… if you want, we could share the book?" I ventured.

His expression was unreadable. "Are you sure?"

"Certainly! Come on." I smiled, leading him to a vacant table nearby.

When we were both settled in at the table, I said, "So, I'm sorry for ditching you these last couple of weeks. I've really been so busy, especially with helping Al practice. I hope you haven't gotten too lost around here," I teased.

"Me? Get lost? Please," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes at him, secretly appreciating his unique brand of sarcasm. "C'mon, let's start this thing. You know, I've never liked Pixies..."

The essay really wasn't so bad, especially since Scorpius shared his iPod with me. Even though all of the magic at Hogwarts was sure to make Muggle technology go haywire, Scorpius had charmed it so that the device was powered by a complex spell.

I had just finished penning the concluding sentence of my essay when the lights in the library abruptly turned off, enveloping us in pitch darkness.

"Scorpius! Where are you?" I whispered nervously, pulling out the headphones.

"Right here. Does this happen a lot at Hogwarts?" A hint of exasperation was evident in his tone.

I shook my head but realized he couldn't see me. "_Lumos,_" I murmured, causing my wand to light up. "No! This has _never_ happened before. Oh Merlin, what do we _do_?"

"Calm down, Rose. What time does the library close?" questioned Scorpius.

I took a deep breath. _Calm down_. "Eleven," I answered shakily.

With a glance at his watch, Scorpius groaned. "Yeah, the library's closed. Come on, we need to go see if the doors are still open," he said, dragging me up.

They weren't. No combination of unlocking spells could open them, either.

"The librarian probably didn't know we were still around since we were all the way in the back," mused Scorpius.

"Yeah," I agreed. "And we were probably too focused on our essays and the music to hear her announce the library closing." I groaned. "What do we do now?"

Scorpius smirked. "Looks like we're spending the night together."

"You're incorrigible," I said, rolling my eyes.

We decided to head back to our previous spots in the secluded area of the library; that way, we could more easily evade trouble when Madam Pince reopened the doors in the morning.

Scorpius was in charge of the sleeping arrangements while I performed some Cleaning Charms to tidy up the old, dusty bookcases around us. However, when I returned to our designated sleeping spot, the sight that greeted me was completely unexpected.

"Um, Scorpius, what's this?"

Instead of the sleeping bags he was supposed to transfigure, Scorpius had conjured up a low mattress with a fluffy blanket and pillows.

"The sleeping bags were too hard and lumpy. This'll make us more comfortable."

It suddenly registered to me that there was only one mattress. _One _mattress. My body suddenly felt very hot. I tried to brush off my nervousness with a joke.

"What, Beauxbatons boys don't slum it?"

"Never," he smirked, kicking off his shoes, loosening his tie, and settling into the makeshift bed.

I copied his movements, albeit much more hesitantly. I'd never been in this type of situation before, and I'd only just met Scorpius... but somehow, I trusted him (not that I really had a choice at this point, but still).

As I lied down on the bed (keeping as much space between us as I could manage, which wasn't much), I realized that the mattress really was quite comfortable. I told Scorpius so.

He chuckled. "Thanks. I like Transfiguration, but I'm best at Defense."

"Hmm, no. Defense is pretty cool, but Charms is _obviously_ the best."

"Clearly, you've never studied Defense at Beauxbatons, but don't worry, I'll teach you," he said, and I could feel his smirk even though I couldn't see it.

"Well, I suppose Professor Gale is only a mediocre teacher," I conceded. "But I definitely do _not_ need help from a Beauxbatons boy," I said saucily. "How's your training going, though?"

"Fine, I suppose." He sighed. "That was actually why I was so late in getting to the library. Maxime's been forcing me into extra spell practice. Although, it turned out to be a good thing."

I was sure I was blushing furiously and was grateful it was so dark right now. "Al is spending every waking moment practicing, too. You know, you should hang out with him," I suggested. "And Louis, too. You'd like them," I said earnestly, as another thought struck me. "In fact, we're all going to James' Quidditch match this Saturday. Would you be interested? I'm sure I could convince Slughorn to let you come with us. I mean, that's only if you want to, of course. You don't have to—"

Scorpius covered my lips lightly with his hand, and I realized I'd been rambling. Oh _Merlin_. "Relax, Rose. It'd be cool to join you guys. Thanks for the invite."

"Okay," I said, smiling sleepily. "Well... good night then, Scorpius."

His grin was evident as he replied, "Night, Rose. Sleep well."

* * *

a/n: Thanks for reading! Kind of a filler chapter, I know, and I apologize for Rose's hot/cold attitude towards Scorpius, but she's seventeen and naturally struggles with these sort of things. :P

Anyways, it all belongs to JK Rowling. The "last book" part was inspired by gpoy's _Out of Print_ and the "stuck in the library" scene was inspired by pratty-prongs-princesse's _Fly Me to the Moon_.

Please let me know what you think! Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! I'd really appreciate any thoughts or suggestions, as reviews are truly motivators to write. :)


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